


to Naoto

by drowninginchamomiletea



Series: Kannao Mixtapes [1]
Category: Persona 4
Genre: F/M, Fluffy souyo antics, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-11
Updated: 2017-07-21
Packaged: 2018-11-30 16:37:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 5,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11467467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drowninginchamomiletea/pseuds/drowninginchamomiletea
Summary: Kanji makes a mixtape for Naoto.~~~~~~~~~~~~Okay so stuff has happened and I have deleted the lyrics quoted here because I got a copyright complaint so pls look up the songs yourself for full lyrics thank you





	1. Give It A Listen

"Hm?"  
  
Naoto found the cassette tape beneath a stray love letter in her shoe locker.  
  
Humming curiously, she picked it up and flipped it over to read the label on the reverse side. The front had simply read, in a hasty scrawl, _to Naoto._ A smaller, neater, half-cursive hand had written _Side A_ beside the simple address. The other side was blank with the exception of the label _Side B - Blank_ in the half-cursive script. It was all written with what appeared to be a super-fine-tip permanent marker.  
  
She frowned. She was accustomed to receiving notes expressing affection, but... _This_ was unexpected.  
  
"Hey Naoto!" The girl looked up at the familiar voice. Its source was one Hanamura Yosuke, grinning and waving at her as he walked down the hall towards the main entrance. Hand-in-hand with him, of course, was Narukami Yu, the Junes heir's boyfriend. Yu, too, smiled at Naoto.  
  
"Good afternoon, Yosuke-senpai, Yu-senpai. What kept you here after class?"  
  
Yu chuckled and rolled his eyes.  
  
"Yosuke was getting chewed out for using his phone in class again, so I stayed behind with him. You?" _Of course you did,_ she thought, covering her bemused smile as she changed into her platform boots.  
  
"I was caught up in a rather animated discussion with the forensic science teacher."  
  
"Really? I didn't know there was a forensic science class here."  
  
"There's not. There's a club, though. Anyways," Yosuke continued as Naoto stood back up, "whatcha got there? Are people sending you _mixtapes_ now?" He snorted, gesturing to the cassette tape she still held.  
  
"Excuse me?" _Mix... Tapes?_ She looked between the two boys, confused. Yu was the one to answer her unsaid question.  
  
"Back when cassettes were the main way people listened to music, people would sort of... 'Frankenstein' together their own tape to make a personal 'album' of sorts. It was popular for quite a while to put together a cassette of songs that all shared a common theme, and give it to someone to express a feeling towards them. It could be friendship or even hate, but much more often, it was love. Your admirers are getting creative," he finished, grey eyes twinkling.  
  
Naoto grimaced and sighed. _Not as strange as I thought, then..._ She'd been hoping for something new, perhaps a... Well, she wasn't certain what she'd wanted, but it definitely wasn't another stranger confessing their love for her. Her brooding was interrupted by Yosuke's voice.  
  
"Yo, I've still got my old Walkman lying around someplace. I could totally loan it to you so you can listen to that!"  
  
She shook her head.  
  
"I appreciate the offer. However, I do not intend to humor what is essentially just another love letter from someone who doesn't know me by listening to it."  
  
"Really?! C'mon, Naoto, take advantage of how many people crush on you! Not all of us are so privileged; I was lucky just to get this hot mess," Yosuke said, a huge, devious grin splitting his cheeks. He cracked up when a laughing Yu shoved him playfully.  
  
Naoto smiled slightly at their affectionate antics. _They are indeed quite well-matched._ She picked up her bag, putting the cassette in her pocket for later disposal.  
  
"I really must be heading home now," she said, as Yu licked the hand that was clamped over his mouth and Yosuke jumped back with a cry of, "ew!! _Dude!"_  
  
"Okay," Yu replied from the chokehold Yosuke had grabbed him in. "We can walk you partway; we're stopping for an afternoon snack at Aiya's anyways!"  
  
She nodded, hiding another amused smile by chewing on her lip.  
  
"That sounds acceptable."  
  
They walked out of the front door with the conversation on Aiya's menu. Before long, Yu made a wisecrack about beefy food and how "you are what you eat" that earned him a noogie from Yosuke and drew a small smile out of Naoto. Once his boyfriend released him, the grey-haired boy directed a request at the detective.  
  
"Hey, Naoto. Could I take a quick look at that tape?"  
  
She frowned and pulled the cassette from her pocket. Holding it up between two fingers, she queried,  
  
"This?"  
  
Yu smiled and took the rectangle of black plastic from her fingers.  
  
"Yes. Let's see... Hah! I knew it. Yosuke, she'll be borrowing your Walkman." He held out the tape to Naoto, who frowned confusedly. Yosuke asked the next question for her, with a similarly befuddled expression.  
  
"Uhh, yeah, sure? Why's it so important, though? I mean, you can totally borrow it, Naoto," he added, glancing at her. "But I was kinda just joking around about her listening to it, yeah?"  
  
Yu smiled knowingly.  
  
"Yeah. I know. But now that I look at the handwriting, I know who it is, and he _does_ know her. Give him a chance, eh, Naoto?"  
  
She looked uncertainly at the cassette her friend and former leader held out to her. If it _was_ someone who knew her personally, then Yu was right: she had no reason not to give the tape a listen. However, that also meant that one of her few friends was in love with her, and... What did that even mean?  
  
The dictionary tells us that _"love"_ is _"a feeling of personal attachment or deep affection for another, such as a friend, family member, or lover."_  
  
But no, no. That wasn't right. There is a large difference between a given person's relationships with the three people mentioned. So we add three addendums:  
  
First, the simplest type of love: the love in friendship. That would be _"platonic love; a feeling of personal attachment or deep affection for another."_  
  
The love in families is _"familial love; a feeling of personal attachment or deep affection for a family member or relative. There is often an obligatory hierarchical respect in familial love, such as between parent and child or between siblings of differing ages."_  
  
And lastly, there is _"romantic love."_ This was the type of love Naoto herself had yet to experience; _"a feeling of personal attachment or deep affection for, and desire for intimacy with, another."_ The idea made her shiver a little. Could she do that? Even now, she'd barely even accepted her own physical sex and its corresponding gender identity. With romantic and sexual attraction being so strongly based on their target's sex and gender, it felt unfair to potential suitors for her to be so unsure of herself.  
  
"Uhh, Naoto? Hell-ooo? Earth to the Detective Prince!" Naoto blinked and looked up, reality returning in a rush. The trio was standing outside Junes, and Yosuke was waving a well-used light blue Walkman and the flimsy-looking matching headphones in front of her in an attempt to get her attention.  
  
"Yes, Yosuke-senpai."  
  
"Here. Left it in my break room locker a couple months back," he said, handing her the device. She took it, still uncertain whether she wanted to do this or not. Yu, however, was the tipping point. Just like he always was.  
  
He moved to face her, holding out the tape. His face bore the shadow of a look that she hadn't seen in months, but which was unbearably familiar: resilient, serious, concerned. The general who led an army of eight to save the world.  
  
"Come on, Naoto. It's time to get over your fear of attachment. Give it a listen. He'll wait for you forever, but please don't make him. Let him have this shot."  
  
Naoto looked the boy in the eyes. Two silver rings shone as the sun broke through the overcast sky. _Come on, Naoto. It's time._ Biting her lip, she slowly nodded. She hesitantly reached out and took the mixtape from him.  
  
The couple followed her as far as Aiya's. As she walked away, she glanced back to see Yu give her a reassuring smile and a wave farewell, and Yosuke miming putting on headphones before giving her a thumbs-up and mouthing, _"good luck!"_  
  
_I'm not sure luck will help,_ she thought, sliding the tape, Side A up, into the Walkman. She snapped the device shut, put on the headphones, and pressed play...


	2. Deer In The Headlights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deer in the Headlights by Owl City :D

The beat began, the cymbals crashed in, and the synth, first low, then high, and the added cymbals.

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

Pause.

 

The vocalist was male, and he sounded relatively young, perhaps in his mid-twenties.

 

Play.

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

Pause.

 

Now this is where it started getting interesting. Why was this girl carrying pepper spray? Self-defense, naturally. And perhaps she was overreactive and used it on an innocent man who greeted her as he passed. Thus the quip that her pepper spray made it rather difficult for him to walk her home.

 

Play.

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

Pause.

 

He seems not to care that this happened; perhaps he simply believes in letting things happen as they will? Or perhaps his love is too great for him to mind anything she does?

 

Play.

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

Pause.

 

Foolish. Real love was only possible between two people who have known each other for an extended period of time.

 

Play.

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

Pause.

 

A common metaphor; love=light.

 

Play.

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

Pause.

 

The artist cleverly combines the metaphor love=light with the common phrase "deer in the headlights" to indicate that someone has been caught as the target of his love, and that person is or would be shocked or afraid.

 

Play.

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

Pause.

 

A reference to the old European fairy tale. In addition, is this the same girl as before?

 

Play.

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

Pause.

 

Is the singer or the girl the one with these injuries?

 

Play.

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

Pause.

 

This phrase could mean any of several things, including but not limited to fear, shock/surprise, awe, cachinnation, disorientation, etc., etc.

In this context, fear and awe are the two most likely interpretations. In short, females strike either fear or awe in the singer.

 

Play.

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

Pause.

 

Fear, then. Disorientaion is a common expression of the fight-or-flight response.

 

Play.

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

Pause.

The singer regrets ever making an attempt as her suitor.  
  
Play.

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

_If life was a game, you would never play nice_

 

Pause.

 

The girl is competitive, possibly to the point of cheating.

 

Play.

 

_If love was a beam, you'd be blind in both eyes_

 

Pause.

 

More variations of love=light.

 

Play.

 

_Put your sunglasses on, 'cause you're the deer in the headlights!_

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

Pause.

 

She stopped in her tracks, taking off the headphones. Her feet had carried her onto a residential street. She'd been walking for perhaps seven minutes. She sighed and looked down at the blinking _0:03:00_ on the Walkman's tiny LCD.

_Well. That wasn't quite what I expected. Venture on into the great unknown, I suppose..._

 

Play.


	3. I Know You're Out There

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I Know You're Out There by Stephanie Mabey 
> 
> Found this sweet lil number on youtube the other day and thought it was way too perfect for our two favorite sweethearts! :) enjoy!

The second song started with a mellow, almost melancholy, plinking melody of glockenspiel and vibraphone.

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

_'Cause you're the kind_

_That finds the clues_

 

 

Pause.

 

That was a clear reference to her as the intended recipient;  _"the kind that finds the clues"_ would be about her as a detective.

 

Play.

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

Pause.

 

Is this a metaphorical cypher and key, or literal?

 

Play.

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

A synth organ started up.

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

The organ dropped back out.

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

And the song ended. Pressing pause, Naoto noticed that this time, she didn't think as much while she was listening. The song was simply too... Honest? Sweet? Beautiful? She wasn't sure.

She did know that the song fit so well that it almost seemed custom written. Especially those lines, _"'cause you're the kind that finds the clues."_ A detective, of course. What the song didn't do, however, was provide her any hint as to who the mixtape was from.

 

Play.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter was a bit disppointing, but it's such a simple, sweet song, you've really just gotta listen to it to get it. Go search "I know you're out there" on YT for a really sweet hand drawn video!!


	4. I Kinda Like You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I Kinda Like You - Jeremy Ashida
> 
> I just think this song is so sweet and so like Kanji,,, I kinda had to include it,,, enjoy my friends hahah

Just acoustic gitaur. No drums, vibraphone, synthesizer, or anything at all unusual. That was Naoto's first observation when the third song started. 

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

Although no one was around, and though even if they were they wouldn't hear the music, she could still feel a guilty blush creeping up her neck.

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

This almost made her pause the song. She'd never sung in front of anyone but Grampa and Yakushiji, and that had been when she was very young! Right?

 _No,_ said a tiny voice in the back of her head.  _Kanji-kun convinced you to sing during a study session, in March. Rise-chan was away on tour that week, and—_ She hastily focused her attention on the next line when it came.

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

 

Pause.

 

Neither of these lines made any sense. She knew no one at Yasogami who drove a car. And she didn't draw. Let alone drawing _for_ someone. 

And  _never_ had she signed her name in a heart.

 

Play.

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

Well, there's the message of the song. 

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

The image made her somewhat nauseous.

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

Pause.

 

She stopped walking and frowned down at the pocket where she felt her phone pressing against her leg. She hadn't needed to talk to someone before sleeping since she was a very young child.

She thought without result for another moment before playing the music. She did not, however, remember the tiny text conversation she had every night. The miniscule, insignificant exchange of four or five messages with her friend who lived above Tatsumi Textiles. 

Oblivious of what she had missed, she began walking again and pressed play.

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

Again, she knew no one who could drive a car.

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

Expressing a deep level of devotion. A wish for the recipient to see the singer as someone they can depend on. 

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

Once she had confirmed that the song was over, she pressed pause once again. 

She looked around to find herself in a new neighborhood. She looked down at her wrist to see that she had still spent only 14 or so minutes walking. She sighed.

 

Play.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright wrote this all in a couple hours lesgo boizzzz I'm onna roll


	5. Here Comes The Anxiety

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here Comes The Anxiety by The Wombats
> 
> Thought this song was hilariously accurate to Kanji's feelings for Noot lmfao!! Enjoy!  
> ｡ﾟ(ﾟ´▽｀ﾟ)ﾟ｡

The fourth song began with simple electric guitar chords and an English-accented male voice.

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _   
  


 

Drums, guitar rises, in-comes-the keyboard—

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

So, a dark song. A song about the anxiety and fear the singer has about love, and has experienced before.

The strumming dropped back down to single chords, the drums to the hi-hat, and the keyboard to silence. There was a sense of tension, like the sound was about to burst at the seams.

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

...aaand  _there's_ that tension cracking. The drums, guitar, and keyboard all returned at full force, with background vocals to boot, for two lines, before starting to fall again.

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

By the end of the stanza, the song was back to strummed chords and the medium rock drum rhythm.

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

The beat rose up, and the background vocalists came back in...

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

After a measure or two of riding on the cymbal bells, the song went into a high-energy instrumental.

 _All right,_ Naoto thought, tipping her head back to stare into the aquamarine sky as she walked. She raised up a hand and tugged gently on the brim of her cap.  _Let's take stock. We had a song about falling in love at first sight, a romantic and dreamy song that references a curious nature, a song that describes a person to whom the singer is attracted, and a song about a love interest who strikes anxiety into the singer._

_Based upon this and upon what Yu-senpai told me, I can confirm with a suitable margin for error that the person who created this tape harbors a romantic interest in me._

_Making no assumptions about gender, they are likely to be someone who acts nervous around me. Common signs of nervousness... Flushing, alalia syllibaris, heightened pitch of voice, shortened attention span, constricted pupils, etcetera. In addition, if we define part of a romantic interest as being "heightened oxytocin and/or dopamine levels when interacting with an for thinking/speaking about the focus of interest," then this would not only enhance the blushing, but would_ dilate  _the pupils. Whether the pupils are constricted or dilated... Would depend on the situation._

 _But even then—_ Her thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice. She lowered her chin and looked around, confused, before realizing that the voice was coming from the headphones. 

A somewhat bemused-sounding Dojima Ryotaro was speaking to someone.

 

**_"—oung'uns. I grew up making mixtapes with the help of this very machine! She may not be as sleek as the model that came out the next year, but I can assure you, she's braved choppier romantic waters—and choppier tape-up jobs—than yours, so one more soon o'the ol' tapes should be—Ah! And she rolls once again, off into the stormy seas of lo—kidding, kidding. Okay, so, 3, 2, 1, and... Take 1. Er... Hey, Shirogane. I've been asked by the... By your admirer to be the voice of this tape before they speak at the end. Just... I'm here to check you're still listening. If you are, then keep in mind—because I know you've been thinking nonstop so far, and are now—that in my professional and personal opinions, they absolutely deserve at least some kind of response. Honestly, I think—"_  **

 

Suddenly, an impatient Yu broke in.

 

**_"Just get to the point, Uncle! That they completely deserve each other and awmph—"_ **

 

Apparently, judging by the loud _THUMP_ that came almost immediately after he was cut off, someone had tackled Yu and clamped a hand over his mouth. Nanako was audible in the background ( _they're in the Dojima home, then,_ Naoto thought, her suspicions all but confirmed by the playful voices), asking if everyone was okay yet still giggling all the same. Dojima spoke over the din. 

 

**_"Heh... Anywho. I'd like to think I'm right when I say that you put considerable stock in my opinion, so I thought you should know that when it comes to picking someone who's a great match for you, I'd put all my money on this kid. I recognize that just over the past seven or eight months of knowing you, I've become a sort of parent figure for you. The best advice I can give you right now as that parent figure is that this is going to be an important experience for you no matter how it ends, and you'll be a better person for it. That's all I've got. Dojima out."_ **

 

Nanako piped up before the tape rolled into the next song.

 

**_"Naoto-neechan!! I helped pick the next song! I hope you like it!"_ **

 

Naoto smiled. _I'm sure I will._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Kanji lmao. Also if you can't tell by now, yeah, I play the drums hahah. ALL THOSE RHYTHM DESCRIPTORS YEAH SON
> 
> ~~~
> 
> BY THE WAY HERE'S A SSSSSSSSSSSSCIENCE GLOSSARY::::::  
>  ** _alalia syllibaris:_** stuttering  
>  **dopamine, oxytocin:** neurotransmitters associated with the brain's reward system and the experience of happiness.
> 
> Lol science is awesome


	6. You Are My Sunshine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lil somethin sweet uwu

Song number five began with a deeply familiar tune played on what sounded like a pennywhistle or recorder. After it played through once, a young—perhaps 7 or 8 years of age—girl's voice chimed in to sing along the second time.

 

**_You are my sunshine, my only sunshine_ **   
**_You make me happy when skies are grey_ **   
**_You never know, dear, how much I love you_ **   
**_Please don't take my sunshine away_ **

 

 _Oh, dear. Nanako-chan... How perfect._ The song expressed a simple sentiment in a simple way, and that was that. It certainly succeeded in putting a soft smile on Naoto's face as she entered a downtown residential street.  _Just a few more, now..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wouldn't it just be too perfect if it were our dear sweet Nans singing? Gaaaahhd I love her what a bean
> 
> Lol this chapter was so SHORT but what else could I have said for this song??


	7. Girls And Boys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Girls And Boys by Blur
> 
> Well, y'know. Gender shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always thought that their shared gender dysphoria is part of what would make these two a good couple ouo
> 
> Okay so I know Naoto's emotional firewall seems a little easy to weaken here but fear not I have some explains to do about that: it's basically just cause she'd let her guard down. She was just like "yeah okay I get what ur sayin you love me, yadayada," and then this song comes up like sUDDEN JAB IN THE INSECURITIES WHAT and she is. nOT PREPARED, _aT_ ALL.
> 
> Updates on things in the end notes!

The sixth track began with an odd, almost dancehall-sounding synthesizer. A four-four tambourine highlighted the beat, which was driven heavily by a melodic bassline.

Eight measures in, the full drumset came up, and the bassline emerged on top. Eight more measures (ooo, lasers at measure 12), and the vocals began.

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

The drums picked up energy, and an electric guitar entered.

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

The synth rumbled down, down, down the scale and—

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

Throughout the chorus, the synth remained on a high strings-section setting in the background, reminiscent of '80s-era American dance music. 

It soon dropped out, however, and a new verse began.

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _   
  


 

The song, as they say, "faded into the sunset," leaving a confused Naoto in the proverbial dark. She quickly pressed pause and looked around.

Her feet had carried her back to the shopping district, and she presently stood in front of Souzai Daigaku. She slid a hand into her left pocket and ran a finger through her wallet. Mentally shrugging, she approached the storefront.  _Protein and exercise... A very beneficial combination._

She sat at one of the outdoor tables to watch the remnants of the lunch hour crowds trickling down the sidewalk. She contemplated the song and its strange lyrics while she chewed.  _Girls who are boys... Who like boys to be girls? The first line could be drawn as a reference to my own..._ Situation  _in that area. On the other hand, the rest of the chorus seems like jumbled nonsense. I can't draw any coherent conclusions from even just the chorus, nor even_ begin  _to understand the verses..._

She shook her head roughly and hunched down with her elbow on the top knee of her crossed legs, upper lip resting in the crook of her forefinger and thumb, teeth clenched in frustration, and cap drawn far down over her deeply furrowed brow. It was just so... So... 

_"Rrgh."_

_Goodness, really! What business has a passing admirer, agitating me so? And what business have I, letting it get to me!? Gracious, look at how childishly I am behaving! Openly_ sulking  _when I fail to draw a conclusion on the_ first  _solo attempt!?_ Really _now,_ _Shirogane, what's gotten into you?!_

She was far too preoccupied mentally scolding herself and ruminating over the song's bizarre lyrics to notice the rain before it soaked through a decent portion of the back of her shirt. Silently cursing, she jumped up and abandoned her half-empty plate for the relative shelter of the nearest storefront, Marutake Hobby Shop. It was closed, of course. She reached to pull her jacket snugly around her before remembering that it was May and she was wearing her summer uniform. 

 _How perfect,_ she thought bitterly. Her cap was sopping wet, and her entire back was soaked to the skin.  _A nice, freezing, freak storm turns out to be just the_ _thing_ _to round_ _off a thoroughly egregious day._ She slid down the wall and sat down, intending to wait it out.

She exhaled wearily, threading her arm out from the handle straps of her school bag before setting it down beside her, and took off her cap. She sat back, forearms on the knees of slightly outstretched legs, head tipped back against the wall, hat hanging limply from numb fingers. Her lips were slightly parted, her brow relaxed and free of bangs or the shadow of her cap. Damp navy locks hung away from her face. 

 _Gracious. Why so tired, Shirogane? Surely a simple walk wouldn't do you in._ She quickly rebutted the tiny voice's snide remark. The corner of her mouth twitched slightly.  _I am most assuredly capable of walking a few miles without consequence._

She opened her eyes to look up into the cobwebby eves of the hobby shop. 

_Well, as they say... There's no time like the present._

Shirogane Naoto sat cross-legged in what little shelter from the rain the shabby storefront provided. Ears covered by cheap plastic headphones, hands around a cassette Walkman, she let out a breath of— what was it? Anticipation? Fear? No, that wasn't quite right. It seemed like... A release. Like she recognized something that had to be done, and was prepared for whatever it may come to. 

She stared at the play button.

It stared back.

(Proverbially.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY! *clap* *rubs hands together and stands up* Let's have a lil team meeting, shall we? 
> 
> Now, as usual when I return from being absent for a couple days, I've got some good stuff a-cookin'!  
> ☆ First off! You may have noticed that I've created my first series, "Kannao Playlists." _to Naoto,_ this fic, is the first installment of KP. And you know what that means... So I won't tell you ：) Don'tcha just hate my guts sometimes?  
>  ☆ NEXT!! I wrote an ~~unnecessarily long and charicteristically sarcastic~~ explanation of music theory, to be released alongside chapter 9 as a bonus chapter 10 in a few days.  
>  ☆ Aaaand of COURSE I caught the Hanahaki writing bug, so I'm planning a Kannao hanahaki fic cause I'm all about that phYSICAL MANIFESTATION OF PINING hhUughhgHh help me I kinda fell in a BMC hole around a week ago and i. Can't seem to get out of it? So I'll just take this prompt and run? Cause there's only one kannao fic for it??? Okay let's go  
> ☆ I have a BUFFER!'!!!!?'?!,!,,!??????!,',!,!,!!,' WHAT IS THIS MADNESS  
> Okay but in all seriousness by the time you read this, Chapters 8 and 10 will be more or less complete and Chapter 9 will be well on its merry little way! Holy SHIT! PROGRESS!  
> ☆ I've done plenty of writing on RMT! Well, maybe "plenty" is stretching it a bit, but it fELT like a very healthy progression okay gOsh  
> ☆ I might be in the middle of a lil break from DG to work on RMT and KP and the other stuff I've mentioned. Just wanted that in words so nobody can be like wHY have yOu ABANDONeD YHE **PAIN** bc I HAVEN'T okay I haven't I'm just working on other stuff rn good gosh  
>  ☆ Aaaaand, eeerrrrr... *leans back in desk chair, reaches for stack of papers* *rifles through papers* [audible several feet from mic] Uhhm, issat it...? *shuffles papers some more* Iiiii think.... That's it. *more papery sounds* Uhm.... *papers* Yyyeah... That's it! *leans back into mic* Alright, I'm out for now! Have a great one! Seen the comets!


	8. La La

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> La La by The Cab
> 
> This is the last song. I get really sappy in the chapter notes, because I am the SAPPIEST. I'm like a heckin fir in the rainy season I swear to god I get so sappy sometimes and if you sit down anywhere near me you get covered in it and then if you touch any fluffy stuff it just gets everywhere and you can't get rid of it and it's just. Terrible

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just... Hang with me here. Insomnia stole all sleep from me last night. I am tired af and really hungry. I love these kids to death and each of these songs was selected after days of careful deliberation and research. I plan to honor that tradition with the second half of the Kannao Playlists. I've been raised on music, formally played about nine different instruments so far in my life, and when I do vent writing, I write _songs,_ not stories or poems. I see myself reflected in these two, and their dynamic is the same as my dynamic with myself. These playlists are my best attempt at weaving these two their own unique _American Gothic,_ in the medium I'm most fluent with.  
>  Let's finish this thing.

The seventh song began with an electric (bass...?) guitar, a soft drum rhythm, a reverb pedal, and a male voice. 

 

 

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The reverb dissipated. 

 

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At some points, a keyboard had come in to emphasize a downward slide or a high point in the melody.

 

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Naoto frowned slightly. This had not been the impression she'd gotten from the previous songs. However, "more than just a dance" could be referring to something other than sex, so she shrugged it off.

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

Speaking of dancing... She smiled. She was remembering Rise's comeback concert, with all her old friends, and with her new friends from Kanamin Kitchen. She remembered having to dance the Shadows into submission, and in the process, learning something of her inner feelings and how to express them.

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

She wrinkled her brow slightly again, confused at the mixed messages the song was sending. Was this a song of love? Or of lies? 

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

The song really did remind her of some she had danced to on the Shadows' stages. She almost wanted to sand and spin along.

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

Again, strange. Was the message of this song in fact one of physical attraction, but not mental attraction? 

 

_ [Content removed for copyright reasons] _

 

Her mind kept going back to the dances in the Shadow world, and... Her dances with Kanji-kun... She was unsure why.

 

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The song seemed to be yanked to a halt, and it put her off slightly. Then she heard Dojima's voice once again. He sounded... Quiet, and there was a faint warning in his tone.

 

**_"Alright, Shirogane. This is the critical moment. I'm about to hand off the recorder to the guy behind this. I just have two more things to say. First: I'll say when we're about to switch, so if you don't want to know, you don't have to find out. Second: whatever you do, just don't break his heart. That's all. Dojima out."_ **

 

She quickly pressed pause. She needed a little longer to digest everything. She stood, stretching, and pulled her cap back on. The rain had reduced to a very light drizzle.  _I could make it home in relatively good shape if I jogged..._ She took off the headphones and placed them in her school bag along with the Walkman. Then, after glancing around to check that no one was coming, she set out at a light run.


	9. (Not The) End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One thing ends... And another begins σωσ

**_"Uh... Hey, Naoto."_ **

There was a pause. 

 ** _"Heh... Firs' time I've been so nervous my mouth feels dry. I guess... I don' really... Man, sorry."_** He laughed, but there was very little real humor in the sound. 

 ** _"So, uh... I guess this's it, huh? Jig's up, or... Or whatever. So... 'S me. I mean. Ya prob'ly knew tha' th' momen' I started talkin', maybe y'even knew b'fore, haven' exac'ly done the greatest job at keepin' it secret, wouldn' be s'prised if y'd known righ' from the start, with how damn smart y'are, I—"_** He cut himself off. 

 ** _"Gah. Dunno why 'm even botherin' recordin' this; I'm prob'ly jus' gonna back out at the las' secon' anyways, jus' like I always do..."_** A frustrated sigh. 

 **_"Well, lemme start over, assumin' yer even hearin' this. It's me. Kanji. An' I'm... Yeah, I... I like you. L-love you. Since... Damn, 's been a whole year. Yeah, I... It was kinda an accident, t'be honest. Y'know, 'cause people'd always talk about me, thought I was... 'Cause I sew and shit, an' do stuff people think is fer girls, so people jus'... They talked, right? An'... I dunno. Some kid walks up an' says he's int'rested in me, what'm I s'posed ta think? Yeah, I liked you even when I thought you were a guy. Wouldn' b'lieve how relieved I was when we found out ya weren'. B't then I got ta know ya, an' it jus' got worse. Way worse. I just... God, I can' imagine yer still listenin'. Prob'ly stopped the tape the secon' ya heard my voice, 'course ya'd never feel th'same 'bout me, I mean, I'm..._** **Me. _Tatsumi Kanji, delinquent, bottom of his class, knittin's about the only thing I can do right, ev'rybody other'n my friends're either scared a me or thinks I'm a creep... And... You're just... You're_ you. _Shirogane Naoto. Brilliant ace detective, beautiful, polite, confident, mature, ain't afraida anything or anyone. Everythin' I'm not. And yer one a my best friends. 'Course, that's prob'ly over now. Dunno if you'll ever talk t'me again. Jeez... Can't believe this. Anyways. I guess... There ain't much more to say, is there?"_** He gave a hollow laugh.  ** _"My time bein' a part a your life's over, huh? Might take awhile to get used to that. Well, uh... seeya around, I guess. Or not. And... Sorry about all this. But... I had to say it. It woulda been worse if I kept it secret. G'bye, Naoto. I love you. Good luck out there."_**

The Walkman ceased its soft whirring and the play button popped up. Naoto stared at the device, feeling chilled. Horror settled over her like a sheet, and she could feel her heartbeat in her stomach.  _Kanji-kun..._

Suddenly, an idea struck her. She hastily scrambled into the office and opened her laptop to type into the search bar,  _"how to make a mixtape"._


	10. A Bored (But Not Boring) Explanation Of Music Theory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...yeah. I been raised on this, may as well pass it along now.

Daaamn, I _really_  don't feel like explaining music theory right now,,,, ah well, I guess I've been throwing around a shitload of jargon throughout this whole fic without giving much of an explanation, so... Here's the explanation, I guess. Okay, well, it's probably gonna be more of a glossary than anything, but whatever. I'm lazy. But I've been raised on this, so I know my shit.

By the way, this is the shit parents pay cold hard cash for their squealing, wriggling offspring to learn, so listen good, ya lil punks, cause I ain't chargin you jack here:

Okay, so let's start with measures.  
A **measure**  is a specific length of time. One measure is composed of a certain number of beats.

The number of beats in a measure, and the type of note which represents each beat, is denoted by the **time signature**. Time signatures are the fraction-without-a-line that you see on the left end of the top line of any piece of sheer music. For our purposes, the only time signatures I'll need to explain are 4/4 (four-four) and 3/4 (three-four). And I'm not explaining more than I strictly need to. You want that shit, then it's either ask me directly or get your ass to Wikipedia.

Moving on.

So, time signatures. Think of them as fractions. Yeah, yeah, sorry, but there's actually a LOT of math in music, especially if you're a percussionist like me. But the easiest way to explain time signatures, and what a measure looks like under a given time signature, is this: so, look at the time signature 4/4. Now, read it out loud to yourself as a fraction. "Four quarters," right? That means that in 4/4 time, there are _four_ quarter notes per measure! Same with 3/4; in 3/4 time, you get three quarter notes per measure. (fun fact that's actually very useful if you deal with sheet music a lot: 4/4 is often shorthanded on sheet music as C, for "common time," because it's an extremely common time signature.)

Okay, now just to get it out of the way and clear up any confusion, I gotta talk about notes. Not the solfege scale, although we'll get to that. Nah, I'm talking whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, etc. Welcome to 90% of your life as a percussionist. We're glad to have you. Just. Don't fucking touch anyone's drumsticks. My sticks are my children and they are delicate and doN'T EVEN COME WITHIN THREE FEET OF THEM IF YOU DON'T WANT YOUR HEAD BETWEEN MY CYMBALS. Ahem. As I was saying. Notes. ~~very useful for remembering things, and maybe sharing secrets in class when you should be paY~~ ING ATTENTION. Wow. Am I getting tired, or am I just imagining the stupid band jokes flying everywhere?

Okay, okay, I'll cut the bullshit. So. While it may not make a lot of sense at first, but usually, one beat=one **quarter note**. By "usually," I mean "when the bottom number in the time signature is a 4." Which is usually. Which is why it actually DOES make sense; if I put four notes into a 4/4 measure, then each note occupies one _quarter_  of the measure, right? Ergo, quarter notes. The same is true of eighth, half, whole, and every other denomination of notes. Although it's extremely unusual to go any smaller than thirty-second notes. Even those are relatively unusual in your standard concert band's sheet music library. But that's not relevant. Back on track we get! Hup! Let's go! So, in one measure in 4/4 time, we can fit 8 eighth notes OR 4 quarter notes OR 2 half notes OR one whole note.

~~~

ALRIGHT, CLASS! It's now the next morning, and I am awake and ready to  _explain some scales!!_

Okay! This is where I tap into my choir days! Do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do! You all know the song, right? Do, a deer, a female deer, re, a drop of golden sun, mi, a name I call myself, fa, a long, long way to run... Etcetera. That's what we call the **solfege scale**. A **scale**  in music is a series of seven notes, each of which is one step higher than the last. If you know piano, then I can say it like this: the distance between two adjacent white keys is one step. Oh, dear. We're getting ahead of ourselves, aren't we? Ignore that but about steps. We're getting to that. 

Alright, now, I may be pretty awesome in a lot of ways, but one thing I do _not_ have is  **perfect pitch**. To have perfect pitch means to be able to identify a note by ear alone. You can see how this would be useful for a musician. It comes naturally to some people (*mutters angrily*  _lucky bastards..._ ), but most of us are not so blessed. Don't give up hope, though! You CAN train your ears to have perfect pitch! It takes long hours of repetitive training exercises, but it is 100% possible. There's plenty of apps available if you ever want to try it!

Arigh, I think that's enough for now. I'll finish this in For Tatsumi Kanji, so seeya then! Bye kids!


End file.
